


birthday brunch

by amsves



Category: Log Horizon
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Comfortember 2020, Exhaustion, Gen, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27689459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amsves/pseuds/amsves
Summary: Raids aren't the only things that come in phases.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 22
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	birthday brunch

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Very Merry Unbirthday](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9361451) by [theinconceivabletruth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theinconceivabletruth/pseuds/theinconceivabletruth). 



> Comfortember day 23: Exhaustion.

With an ease that indicated she’d done it many times before, Akatsuki slid Shiroe’s window open and climbed inside. Both the window and the ninja were silent. As if she were nothing more than the night breeze, she tiptoed across the floor and over to her sleeping lord.

Shiroe never went to bed before 1, and sometimes later. Even after that, he often tossed and turned, mind racing too fast to allow him to fall asleep any time before 2. But now, at 5:45, he was sleeping soundly.

Akatsuki took a moment to study him. His comforter was only half-covering his body, awkwardly kicked off to one side. One of his arms and legs were hanging off the other side of the futon. He must be a restless sleeper, she decided.

Even in sleep, her lord’s face was pinched in concentration. She resisted the urge to smooth the wrinkled skin between his eyebrows.

Akatsuki committed the image to memory, and then completed her original objective: swiping Shiroe’s alarm clock. The offending object that too-often tore her lord from his precious few hours of sleep left with her as she climbed back out the window and scaled the outside of the guild building to her own room.

Back in the safety of her own room, she gazed upon her acquisition. A smile crossed her lips. “Sweet dreams, my Lord.” Then, she started a telechat with the resident pervert. “Phase one complete.”

* * *

“Roger that.” Naotsugu gave a thumbs-up, even though he knew Akatsuki couldn’t see it. He glanced at his own clock—it was just before 6. Akatsuki had done her part, and now it was time to do his.

He called Touya, Isuzu, and Rudy one by one, explaining that it was time for phase two. The group of four gathered in the dining room and quietly began their work.

Minori had gone shopping the night before and brought back plenty of supplies for decorations. Rudy and Isuzu worked with those now, constructing out of paper, string, and colored ink banners and other wall decorations. When they finished one, it was handed off to Touya, who climbed onto a chair and hung it from the wall or ceiling where Naotsugu directed.

The whole operation was deathly silent. Shiroe was sleeping in an adjacent room, and if he happened to wake up early, it would all be ruined.

Naotsugu wasn’t just standing around and supervising, either—he was doing the incredibly important work of leaning against Shiroe’s bedroom door, just in case his friend got any ideas.

After just over an hour, the ink had dried up and the paper was all used. Isuzu, Touya, and Rudy went back to their own rooms until they were needed again.

The plan included Touya waking Minori and Nyanta on the way back to his room, and soon those two joined Naotsugu in the dining room. “How is he?” Minori whispered when they congregated.

“Far as I know, he’s still sleeping like a baby, even though it’s—” Naotsugu glanced at the clock hanging on the dining room wall, “7:03. So the plan is working.”

“I do wish we had decided to set Shiroechi’s alarm for a later hour, rather than stealing it entirely,” Nyanta sighed. “Cooking is a precise art, and this uncertainty is rather unamewsing.”

“But it’s good to let him sleep as long as he needs,” Minori whisper-protested.

Nyanta ruffled her hair. “Of course, of course. We’ll just get cooking and keep things hot as long as pawsible.”

Naotsugu nodded. “We’re counting on you two. Make us the greatest pancakes ever!”

Minori and Nyanta shushed him, and Naotsugu cringed. In his excitement, his whisper had risen to a normal speaking volume. All three of them held their breath as they listened for movement behind Shiroe’s door.

Ten seconds passed, and there was nothing.

The three breathed a sigh of relief.

“We’ll be getting started now,” Nyanta announced quietly, and he and Minori headed into the kitchen. Naotsugu planted himself in the chair closest to Shiroe’s door and waited. He was on stand-by; Minori and Nyanta could handle phase three.

* * *

Nyanta usually left the kitchen door open, to let the cool air sweep through and also summon hungry Adventurers to meals, but today the door was closed out of necessity.

Nyanta and Minori equipped their aprons and pushed their sleeves back. They washed their hands, and then got to work.

Pancakes were simple, but dressing them up with sugar, syrup, or fruit made them delicious without much extra work. Minori was in charge of making the actual pancakes while Nyanta prepared fruit and other toppings.

It was only seven-thirty by the time the first batch were finished. Minori and Nyanta taste-tested a pancake and both sighed in contentment. “It’s so tasty!” Minori squealed, helping herself to the rest of that pancake.

“I do agree, but make sure not to eat too many, now,” Nyanta chided with a smile. “Then mew won’t be able to eat with the rest of us.”

“But just _one_ wouldn’t hurt,” Minori answered, and her stomach growled in support.

Nyanta suppressed a chuckle. “Well, we have been working hard, and a chef does need their strength in order to create. Perhaps mew had the right idea after all.”

The two finished their pancakes in silence, and then got back to work.

* * *

While phase three was still ongoing, Naotsugu had an important matter to attend to. Michitaka was scheduled to come over and talk with Shiroe around 10, and Naotsugu had absolutely no intention of letting the Marine Agency guild master wake up the Log Horizon guild master. So at 9:45, while Minori and Nyanta were still cooking up a storm, Naotsugu took a cushion from the couch and went to sit on the front steps of the guild hall. Akatsuki would replace him for guard duty.

A few minutes after 10, Michitaka arrived. “Oh, good morning, Naotsugu. I’m here to speak with Shiroe.”

“No can do, I’m afraid.” Naotsugu crossed his arms in front of his chest. “It’s his birthday, you see, and there’s no better present we could give that guy than letting him sleep as late as he wants.”

Michitaka stared at Naotsugu for a moment, and the Guardian wondered if there was about to be a noisy disagreement. But Michitaka just laughed, and handed the papers he was handing over to Naotsugu. “Well then! I guess even Villains need to sleep huh?”

“He’s even scarier when he doesn’t sleep,” Naotsugu said solemnly, only half-joking. “This is a present to Akiba too.”

Michitaka nodded. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Tell him to take it easy, from me.”

“Will do!”

As Michitaka turned and left, Naotsugu smiled and called Nyanta. “Obstacle avoided.”

“ _Excellent. We’re all set here, so it’s simply a matter of when our beloved Shiroechi decides to wake up._ ”

Naotsugu re-entered the guild hall and saw Akatsuki leaning against the door, ear pressed to the wood. “What’s the situation, pipsqueak?”

Akatsuki shot him a glare, but didn’t verbally acknowledge the nickname. “He’s making a lot of noise, like he’s rolling over,” she reported. “He might not be awake yet, but he’s definitely not in a deep sleep anymore.”

“Well, it is after 10,” Naotsugu reasoned. “Even someone as exhausted as Shiroe can only sleep so many hours in a row.”

There was a groan from Shiroe’s room. Naotsugu and Akatsuki looked at each other, before slamming their ears back against the door. If he used his imagination, it sounded to Naotsugu like Shiroe hadn’t been prepared for how bright it was when he opened his eyes. There was the sound of shifting fabric; perhaps he was stretching, or patting around on the floor looking for his glasses. Finally, they heard a long, drawn-out yawn, and knew that he had woken up.

Phase four--the fun part--was about to begin.

Akatsuki seemed too focused on the secrets hidden behind Shiroe’s bedroom door, so Naotsugu stealthily called Nyanta and Touya, and asked those two to inform the rest. Then he returned to eavesdropping on his friend.

There was another, shorter yawn, and the sounds of someone lightly walking across tatami. Then, a shout. “Wait, what time is it? And where’s my alarm clock? If the sun’s already that high—”

Akatsuki and Nyanta had the foresight to back away from the door right before Shiroe threw it open in a panic. “Oh, hey guys. Do you know—”

“SURPRISE!”

The five other guild members had all gathered in the dining room. Minori and Nyanta had let the kitchen door hang open, and the smell of fruit, chocolate, and pancakes wafted in.

Shiroe blinked. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?”

“Happy birthday, my Lord,” Akatsuki said quietly. “We hope you enjoy the surprise.”

“Short stuff here stole your alarm clock, so you could sleep in. The rest of us decorated, cooked, and kept visitors away,” Naotsugu explained. “So, whaddaya think? Ready to celebrate?”

Shiroe appeared to be in shock. Naotsugu linked arms with his friend and led him to his seat in the dining room. “Just sit right there and let the fun wash over you. Are ya hungry?”

Shiroe’s stomach grumbled. “… I suppose so. But, Naotsugu, what time is it? I’m supposed to talk with Michitaka—”

“Handled it,” Naotsugu interrupted. “He came by and dropped off some papers for ya, but said he’d be back tomorrow to talk shop. Oh, and he said to ‘take it easy’.”

Shiroe huffed, but appeared to be placated. Minori entered and set a plate with a tall stack of pancakes on the table in front of him. “Happy birthday Shiroe! What kind of toppings do you want today? We have strawberries, apples, raspberries, chocolate chips, powdered sugar—”

A quick glance at Shiroe’s face told Naotsugu he was still a little overwhelmed by the surprise. “He’ll take apples, and I’ll have some strawberries if ya don’t mind.”

“Oh, Naotsugu, is it your birthday as well?” Minori teased, but left to go grab the fruit and pancakes.

It only took Nyanta and Minori a few minutes to serve everyone, and then they all sat down to eat together. The sweet smell of the dining room was _heavenly_.

Shiroe smiled and clapped his hands together. “Well, thank you for the food, everyone. Let’s dig in.”

It wasn’t a _traditional_ birthday celebration by any means. There was no birthday cake, and no presents. There wasn’t really a party, either; the only people in attendance were those who lived there, and they ate together all the time. But the decorations on the wall (mostly doodles of balloons, party poppers, and a few cutesy depictions of Shiroe’s face), the delicious food, and the general atmosphere of celebration and joy was enough.

Naotsugu shared a look with Akatsuki. She appeared to be quite satisfied with this turn of events.

Naotsugu was too. Shiroe wasn’t a party person, and he tended to work himself too hard. But something like this, a group breakfast after sleeping in late, was just what he needed. What they _all_ needed.

Especially since Shiroe and Naotsugu would be leaving soon. No one else knew that yet, but it weighed heavy on Naotsugu’s mind, and he knew that it was a much bigger burden for Shiroe.

But for now, at least, it looked like Shiroe had forgotten all about that. When he smiled awkwardly as Minori piled more pancakes on his plate, or blushed when Akatsuki’s hand brushed his as they reached for the syrup at the same time, he looked like he was fully present in the moment.

It wasn’t his day, but Naotsugu thought this was a great birthday celebration indeed.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so technically I think by November 23rd, Shiroe and Naotsugu are already in Susukino, but eh. They can leave in like 2 days. It's birthday time.
> 
> Also if for some reason you haven't read A Very Merry Unbirthday, today's a great day to change that! It's THE Shiroe birthday fic.
> 
> Find me and request bingo squares on Tumblr @therewillbebeauty! I'm playing both Fluff Bingo and Bad Things Happen Bingo, so I can either torture or pamper your fave--or both!


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